- Title: PAKISTAN: Imran Khan's Peace March gains momentum as it moves towards Waziristan.
- Date: 7th October 2012
- Summary: MIANWALI , PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 6, 2012) (REUTERS) PAKISTANI ACE CRICKETER-TURNED-POLITICIAN IMRAN KHAN WAVING AND GETTING INTO CAR VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING AROUND CAR COVERED WITH ROSE PETALS AND CHEERING CAR MOVING BUS CARRYING FOREIGN PEACE ACTIVISTS PASSING BY / FOREIGN PEACE ACTIVIST MAKING VICTORY SIGN SECURITY SQUAD OF IMRAN KHAN'S PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF (PTI) PARTY FORMING SECURITY CORDON AROUND KHAN'S CAR
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Pakistan
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAD6H3TH08B31W3P38LM4LBJKVH
- Story Text: Hundreds of supporters of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan join his motorcade "march" of over 100 assorted vehicles on its way to South Waziristan to protest against U.S drone strikes in the region.
More than 1,000 people who on Saturday (October 6) departed Islamabad under the leadership of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in an anti-drone "march" destined for South Waziristan were greeted with enthusiasm by local residents upon their arrival in the town of Mianwali five hours later.
US drone strikes, routinely carried out to target militants in Pakistan's lawless Waziristan region, are condemned by peace campaigners in Pakistan and across the world.
The US administration said the attacks are a key weapon in the war against terrorism, but most Pakistanis see them as counter-productive and a violation of their sovereignty.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan -- who has regularly condemned the US-led 'war on terror' and blamed drone attacks for breeding extremism in the country -- said he organised the so-called "peace march" to show the world the damage inflicted on innocent people by the drone strikes.
At a large gathering in Mianwali, Khan told the crowd the peace march was aimed at showing solidarity with the people of the tribal areas.
"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is with the people of Waziristan during this American war, these cruelties by the Americans in which women and children are killed by drones. We will raise this issue in the entire world, and God willing, this party of yours will bring peace here, this brother of yours who has risen from the soil of Mianwali, will help you to build a new Pakistan," Khan told the cheering crowd.
A large number of foreign peace activists, including US and British nationals as well as local and international media accompanied the march to conflict-ridden Waziristan despite security concerns.
According to the program, the march is due to end Sunday (October 7) with a rally in South Waziristan, a region frequently hit by drone strikes, but it is still unclear if the government will allow this rally to take place in the restive region.
The political administration of South Waziristan has said they do not have the capacity to provide security to thousands of protesters in an area constantly under threat from Taliban militants.
A report commissioned by Reprieve, Stanford Law School and the New York University School of Law last month gave a devastating account of the effect drone strikes have had on ordinary people, especially in the Waziristan region.
Reliable casualty figures are difficult to obtain but the report estimated 474 to 881 civilians were among 2,562 to 3,325 people killed by drones in Pakistan between June 2004 and September 2012. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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